The Brave Are Lonely Souls
by vsbanks
Summary: The story begins at what feels like the end for Sara Rue, secret young love of one Elijah Mikaelson **Please read full summary inside! :     AU/OC  romance/drama/comedy


WARNING: This story does contain a certain original dying, (not Klaus because I just couldn't ) 

Synopsis: The story begins at what feels like the end for Sara Rue, secret young love of one Elijah Mikaelson an original vampire. After the devastation of losing the man she loves, she disappears before anyone can really learn anything about her. How did she meet Elijah? What is it about her that captures the attention of so many residents of Mystic Falls? And why three years after shes vanished she's chosen just now to return?

All will be revealed,

She broke from the woods like the clandestine she was, her bare feet sorted silently through the soft forest ground barely audible, it was her ragged breathing that gave her away. From where she had turned immobile Stefan and Damon examined her, there was still a great distance between her and the horrific scene she had just stumbled upon and until now when she let out a heavy breath he was wondering if she was at all real or just a figment.

"Elijah," She softly cried, all heads snapped at her, she began to run towards him uninhibited by all the threats around her. Klaus leaped at her with quick unnatural grace cutting her short, his hands gripped at her throat. Her reaction wasn't right- she didn't fight him- it was as if she had hardly noticed his hands closing in around her neck at all, all her focus was on Elijah.

"Niklaus," Elijah bellowed, "Let her go!" With his brother dying on the ground just feet from where he was he couldn't defy him, he let go. The girl continued towards him, crashing on the ground next to him careful not to touch him. _He reached out for her_.

Their hands and eyes latched together while everyone looked on, all disorientated by the same strange girl. She was a beauty and that was putting it mildly, there was something distinct about her features that compelled you to keep your eyes focused on her, she seemed straight out of a different world like a siren out of the water.

"Elijah what the hell's going on?" She asked her voice unforgiving yet nurturing, tear's pooling in her jade eyes threatening to spill over. Somehow she seemed more confused than anyone.

"I've kept things from you." Elijah said, catching a tear that rolled down her cheek and swiping it away. He had kept things from everyone.

"That much is clear," She looked over his body, no injuries were visible and except for blood over spilling onto his lips and his eyes slightly unfocused he looked like her Elijah. "Are you alright? What have they done to you?" His brow's furrowed at this question, unable to answer it.

"Klaus," He said and as always calmly, within the next moment Klaus was across from her on his knees looking down at his brother.

"Elijah?" She worried,

"Wait Sara," She wasn't blind to see that he was fading fast. All comprehension for whatever the hell was going on went out the window the only thing she wanted was to see him alright, "Brother, I need your word that no harm will ever come to Sara when I-" He stopped but it wasn't difficult to understand the words he couldn't bring himself to say aloud.

"Elijah stop it, I- I-" She couldn't even get the words out properly, her breathing becoming erratic she hung her head down and focused on her breathing, his hand still gripping hers tightly.

Niklaus bent down and placed a kiss on his brother's forehead, the gesture seemed traditional and old worldly.

"You have my word." He grimaced and got up, within the next moment he disappeared into the woods and the others followed immediately after his lead in other directions leaving just the two of them alone in the empty clearing.

"Sara," He gripped her hand, "Do you think we were meant for this?" Elijah's tone had softened, back to the familiar. She looked back at him, he was smiling a little.

"What's that?" She asked as she soothed his hair back, sure now of what was coming and she didn't know a spell in the whole wide world to prevent it.

"Loving each other," Elijah whispered unsteadily,

Stefan listened from the tree line, sheltered from sight. For some unforeseeable reason he couldn't bring himself to leave. He watched/listened on, eaves dropping- everything about the odd couple seemed wrong yet together Elijah was no longer just a very old vampire but more a man and she wasn't a mystery but something very simple.. a girl very much in love and in the process of getting her heart broken.

"I do, of course I do." She began to cry realizing the hopelessness and that he was, in his way, saying goodbye. She kissed him fervently; scared if when she stopped he would be gone.

"My life began and ended with you Sara Rue." He whispered,

"Don't say that; please don't leave me alone," the girl cried out in a last ditched effort, Sara bundled Elijah into her arms, her sobs uncontrollable until she felt his body go rigid within them. She let him go, his hand still clamped to hers, she watched his entire being begin to ashen, grow darker and darker and then soon he was no more than ash.

Stefan couldn't tear his eyes from her; she lied down next to where Elijah had been her hand unmoved from where he had held it. The night was so cold and yet how she'd appeared in no more than an oversized night shirt and bare feet, how did she know where he would be. She huddled her knees into her chest, Stefan was sure if he let her she ever wouldn't leave. He allowed it before he couldn't stand the sight of her shaking in the cold, in a swift motion he scooped her up into her arms. She didn't fight him and he thought maybe she was just too tired to try but when she wrapped her arms around his neck, bunching his shirt into her small fists he realized he could have been anyone to her, anyone she needed him to be. Likely she was thinking only of Elijah when she held on tighter.

Three years later...

He hadn't seen her since that night- he had tucked her carefully into a guest bed and left her door ajar in case, well… he wasn't sure what in case of. He knew he wouldn't be able to console her not the way she needed, she needed someone she knew and knew her, all her quirks and habits. Damon didn't approve of course until he saw her and even his rigid exterior melted away, temporarily at least.

Everything about that night still troubled him with such an annoying amount of clarity. She was quiet, and both of them were so dulled from the experience that neither or them tried to make conversation for the others sake. They wouldn't know it to say it but they grieved so alike.

He couldn't purge the memory of when her knee's buckled as she tried to get out of the car, it wasn't an overly dramatic action or exaggerated by any means- rather it seemed uncontrollable as if the very grief she felt was enough pressure to push her to the ground. She didn't care enough to ask where he was taking her, or what his intentions were, she seemed completely shut out.

That night was just over three years ago now but felt as fresh as yesterday. He remembered falling asleep finally from exhaustion in the parlor room and waking to the morning light when she was gone, barely a trace of her ever being there. She even made the bed. So imagine his surprise when of all places as plain as the gas station he finally saw her again both doing something as ordinary as filling up their cars. She seemed completely lost in what she was doing, her music coming through her open windows.

Mystic falls was in the middle of a heat wave that felt like it had been dragging on for the entirety of the summer. Sara was dressed in a pair of ragged jean short shorts and a blousy tank top, her skin made golden from the sun and before Stefan could adjust to being conspicuous she stared right at him. At first neither of them made any move but after a few moments, _she was the first to make a move. _She finished screwing the cover back on her tank and walked over, never straying from his eyes until she got close enough.

"I knew it was you." She said simply, not so much a smile but her expression was pleasant.

"Hi." He felt himself at a loss for words; it's not exactly something you prepare yourself for.

"I never had a chance to introduce myself, I'm Sara Rue." She said all matter of fact and with genuine friendliness. In a quick movement she stuck her hand out, her wrist was cluttered with all different sorts of bracelets and all of them looked handmade.

"Stefan Salvatore." He half coughed up, while he shook her hand numbly.

"Sounds like something out of a romance novel," She grinned and after a brief pause. "Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you _Stefan Salvatore_" she rolled his name with a theatrical Italian accent, like it might of sounded if it actually was a name out of an old romance novel. Her happy demeanor was in heavy contrast with the strange girl he had helped that night- but the strange hadn't changed _or the beauty. _Despite the surprise he still felt he could help but chuckle as she walked off, relaying the way she had just abruptly called out his name.

"Who was that?" Elena interrupted his thoughts, she was holding cold drinks.


End file.
